As many as 24 Australian players, including all 16 members of the squad that won the bronze medal in London Olympics earlier this year, are among the 91 overseas players who have signed up for the Hockey India League players' auction to be held next month.

New Delhi: As many as 24 Australian players, including all 16 members of the squad that won the bronze medal in London Olympics earlier this year, are among the 91 overseas players who have signed up for the Hockey India League players' auction to be held next month.

After Australia, Pakistan will have the second highest number of players in the auction at 15, followed by Spain (10).

"A look at the list of players will assure the hockey fraternity that it is in for an intensely competitive event from January 5, 2013," said Hockey India secretary general and HIL chairman Narinder Batra.

"We are happy that a vast majority of the world's best players from 12 countries besides over 150 Indians have made themselves available for Hockey India League," he said.

"It will be of particular interest to hockey lovers here that, with 15 players in the auction, Pakistan is second only to Australia in terms of numbers.

"We are also pleased that Olympic champion Germany and the Olympic silver medallist the Netherlands will also be well represented in the auction," Batra added.

The inaugural HIL will be held across different cities of India from January 5 to February 3, next year. The players auction for the six-team franchise-based event will be held here on December 1.